Take it personally
My Temporary HOME
John 3:16 (NKJV)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
October 21 passed by this year with such busyness that I scarcely took the time to reflect on the anniversary of father-in-law's passing. It has been over four years but there are still moments, especially during the holidays, when home doesn’t seem the quite the same.
During the Hurricane we evacuated to Paul’s folks in our home town of Broken Arrow. Within a week after the evacuation Paul’s dad went into hospice care. As I have shared before, this was a beloved time for me to get to be with him, to love, and to minister to him.
There was a part of me that as well wanted to return home with my husband to continue the ministry in New Orleans, our home where we had learned to love a people away from our Oklahoma home. Feeling as if we never fully were allowed to say goodbye to our ministry, there are times when emptiness wells up in my heart for the people we had grown to love and minister with.
It’s been over four years. Yet there are still people that I long to have been able to personally wish goodbye. People like Avis Adams, my co-worker and friend who had just started attending our church. She had just lost her brother to a murder that hadn’t been solved. We had just begun ministering to her family. There are many others like her. These families, like me, had responsibilities during the evacuation that had to be fulfilled before they could return. Some still cannot or will not ever return to their homes in New Orleans.
Even now, remembering when I left my grandmother for the last time in the hospital room and thinking that she would still be there the next day and I would get to take her home once again. Also, remembering my Aunt Ruby who passed away not long after the hurricane just minutes before I was able to get to Tulsa from Nashville. If only I could have gotten home in time to say goodbye.
Goodbye to my home.
Goodbye to my friends.
Goodbye to my family.
Goodbye however is not the same when you know that your friends and family are in Christ Jesus. While many of us lost our earthly homes in New Orleans. Fortunately, we realized that wherever we journey we would be home if we were in Him. What's more is recognizing that goodbyes are not forever in this place we call home if Jesus is our Lord and Savior. I look forward to seeing all those I left behind in New Orleans as well as those that I have had to say goodbye to here on this earth. Honestly, this is just our temporary home and there are no goodbyes in Heaven.
Posted by Teresa
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
October 21 passed by this year with such busyness that I scarcely took the time to reflect on the anniversary of father-in-law's passing. It has been over four years but there are still moments, especially during the holidays, when home doesn’t seem the quite the same.
During the Hurricane we evacuated to Paul’s folks in our home town of Broken Arrow. Within a week after the evacuation Paul’s dad went into hospice care. As I have shared before, this was a beloved time for me to get to be with him, to love, and to minister to him.
There was a part of me that as well wanted to return home with my husband to continue the ministry in New Orleans, our home where we had learned to love a people away from our Oklahoma home. Feeling as if we never fully were allowed to say goodbye to our ministry, there are times when emptiness wells up in my heart for the people we had grown to love and minister with.
It’s been over four years. Yet there are still people that I long to have been able to personally wish goodbye. People like Avis Adams, my co-worker and friend who had just started attending our church. She had just lost her brother to a murder that hadn’t been solved. We had just begun ministering to her family. There are many others like her. These families, like me, had responsibilities during the evacuation that had to be fulfilled before they could return. Some still cannot or will not ever return to their homes in New Orleans.
Even now, remembering when I left my grandmother for the last time in the hospital room and thinking that she would still be there the next day and I would get to take her home once again. Also, remembering my Aunt Ruby who passed away not long after the hurricane just minutes before I was able to get to Tulsa from Nashville. If only I could have gotten home in time to say goodbye.
Goodbye to my home.
Goodbye to my friends.
Goodbye to my family.
Goodbye however is not the same when you know that your friends and family are in Christ Jesus. While many of us lost our earthly homes in New Orleans. Fortunately, we realized that wherever we journey we would be home if we were in Him. What's more is recognizing that goodbyes are not forever in this place we call home if Jesus is our Lord and Savior. I look forward to seeing all those I left behind in New Orleans as well as those that I have had to say goodbye to here on this earth. Honestly, this is just our temporary home and there are no goodbyes in Heaven.
Posted by Teresa
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